Improvement in horse-rakes



Muga Lw G. M. L. MCMILLEN, OF DAYTON,OH10.

Lene-rs Patent iva-82,972, mal october 13, 186s.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-RAKES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may conce/ra Be it known that I, G. M. L MCMILLEN, 'of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and improved Horse Hay-Rake; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the saure, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specific-ation, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section.

Figure 2 is a detached view of the joint spring and adjusting-apparatus.

Figure 3 is a section through line a: a: of lig. 2.

Figure 4 is a detached view of the slotted guide for' the teeth..

The object of this invention is to improve the inanner of fastening the wire teeth of horse hay-rakes to the axle, and of arranging the spring-bar, and the springs and guides that operate in connection with the rake-teeth.

In the drawings, A is the axle, B Bare the rake-teeth, and C is the spring-bar. The axle is not intended to be rocked, or to be used in connection with the rockingbar,l for the purpose of raising and lowering the teeth, but each tooth is jointed to the axle, independently of all the others, and all are raised or lowered together, by means ofthe spring-bar and a lever connected therewith, having its fulcrnnr on or attached to the axle.

' The joint by which the teeth are attached to the axle, is fully shown in figs. 2 and 3. It consists of a lug, D, bolted to the axle through a base-flange, D',

' and having the bolt reinforced by means of teeth or projections d tl, extending dowlr into the substance of theaxle, the lug being provided with a. hollow arm, E, on the side opposite to that on which the ria-nge extends, and a'liat, wide, horizontal', slotted arm, F, below the arm E, and somewhat longer than that arnr, but extending in the sanre direction with it. In connection with this lug, is another, G, through the centre of which the arm E extends, as shown in fig. 3. This lug slides in towards and out 'onr the other, and its position is adjustable by means of a screw-bolt, H,

passing down through the slot in arnr F, into or through the axle. The arm F extends through the lower end of lug G, and projects beyond its side. In order to steady and support the lug, and render the connection between it and arm F firmer, I provide it with baseanges f f', which rest upon the axle, and which are rebated along their upper inner edge, to for'rn abed to receive and accommodate the arm F, as the two lugs are brought together or moved apavt.

The forward end of the rake-teeth is formed with an eye, 71, andthe teeth are attached to the axle by removing the lug G, nd slipping the eye upon the arm E, and then replac' glug G, and fixing it, by means of the bolt and nut in such a position that it will safely conne the teet inplace, and yet allow them to swing upon the arm Vas a pivot.

head, j, to keep the spring in position. I know it is v common to pass the teeth through guide-slots, and to use a sprhrg to press therndowninto place after they have been raised by any obstacle; but in every rakey heretofore in use, the slots have extended to the upper end of the spring, and when the teeth .were lifted too far', the spring would be so compressed as to be injured,

thrown out of order in some way, or even destroyed.

By making Imy slots t about half theA length of the standard J, and having the spring coiled around the whole length of such standard, I effectually preventl any such accident to the spring. Besides, 4I make my guide-standard in suclr a manner that its lower end extends through the spring-bar, and is provided with a screw-thread and nut rnrder the bar, by which the tension of the spring K, or the Ieng'th of slot t' above the spring-bar, and as a consequence, the play of the rake-teeth up and down in passing over rough ground, can be adjusted at pleasm' Inasnruclr as I attach the ends of the teeth directly to the axle, and not to a bar considerably above the axle, it will not do to have the spring-bar above the teeth, and the guide-standards projecting downwards,

for the reason that, in such case, the latter would be continually catching the hay and dragging it along, while the hay itself would work in among the convolutiorrs of the springs, perhaps, and thus prevent their action. I accordingly arrange .the several parts as shown in l., which eft'ectually obviates the difiiculty.

-'- The lever that operatesthespring-bar, can-be pivoted to the axle in asimilar nrarrrrer to the teeth, ifpreferred.

The whole apparatus is simple, cheap, and easily applied' and adj usted. Any tooth can easily be removed, whenever it is desired to do so, or its spring can be regulated at pleasure, as above described.

Having thus described my invention,

Vhat I claim as new,'and desire to secure by Letters l. The adjustable fastening for the rake-teeth, consisting essentially of the lugs D and G, and screw-bolt and nut H, the lugs being constructed with the ilanges and amns as described, and the whole operating together in the marmer and for the-purpose set forth.

'2. rllre guide-standards J J, .when constructed with the head j, and the slot Ii, extending about half way from the spring-bar to the head j, and when made adjustable-in relation to the spring-bar by meansof the screw-thread and nut, or any equivalent device, and operating'in connection with the spring Kand the rake-teeth, substantially as described.

G. M. L. MCMILLEN. Witnesses: f

NA'rn/AN K. ELLsWoRrH, 

